The Peruke Maker, The Salem Witch Hunt Curse by Ruby Dominquez, ISBN 978-1-4327-1782-7
Review by Chris Phillips
A script written by a talented and cunning mind turns around the premise that the Salem Witch Trials were the source of hauntings, possessions, and curses unknown at the time. Dominquez takes a factual set of events and writes a riveting tale of possession that spans centuries.
A Peruke Maker is the old term for a wig maker. A fine craft, craftsmen of this art were very talented and in high demand in the wig conscious times of the late 17th century. The story starts with the dream of a girl running in the night after her dog. Both she and the dog are covered in blood. When the door is opened and her father appears she is told it is only ink. But that is only the beginning of a mesmerizing tale of horror.
Dominquez crafts a tale depicting horrendous panic and horrible torture of innocents. From the time of the Salem Witch Trials, the Cane’s are a family cursed with witches. Kate Cane, the wife and mother, has already been killed as a witch and haunts the town of Salem as a banshee. Thomas is the Peruke Maker trying to live with his daughter, Bridget, in the midst of this turmoil. The events that follow logically lay the foundation and build the plot for the horror that follows. As the accusations fly, Bridget is labeled a witch, tortured, and is eventually put to death. Thomas, with no on e left and no feelings except bitterness, takes matters into his own hands and issues a curse that stays active into modern times.
A time shift occurs then and the story continues. The main character then becomes Sarah Cane. Although it is not apparent or stated in the book, she appears to be a descendant of the original Cane family. Via the mechanism of a wig, she is drawn into the mystery and the curse. The detailing of such a troubling time for many, into words and pictures show the passion, the innocence contrasted with the shear frustration of a community in panic. Well written, Dominquez maintains impeccable timing and pacing with the scenes unfolding one into the other up to the surprising conclusion.
The book is highly recommended for any that can appreciate the script in this form. For all others, wait until the movie comes out. This reviewer loved the script and will watch for the release of the production with bated breathe.
Published by Outskirts Press, PO Box 385591, Bloomington, Minnesota 55438 (OutskirtsPress.com) ($9.95 USD SRP/Amazon $9.55 USD) Reviewer received book from the author. ( )

It is the 17th Century and Bridget Cane is the Peruke Maker's daughter and she is accused of being a witch. Witchcraft is forbidden and if you are even suspected of such a heinous crime, you will pay with your life.

Sarah takes a journey through time and ends up connecting with Bridget in unimaginable ways. These two women have something in common and it all goes back to the curse of Thomas Cane.

This was a fun read. I got so caught up in the lives of these women, it was depressing when I had to return to reality. ( )

The Peruke Maker starts in the 17th Century - when the witch hunt hits a feverish peak. There we meet Bridget Cane, the Peruke Maker’s daughter. She is a youthful beauty with long, flowing, red hair, and who has just been condemned as a witch.

From there the story jumps to Sarah who lives in the 21st Century - and who due to a dreadful accident somehow forges a connection with Bridget’s ghost. Sarah begins to time travel between the present day and Bridget’s time taking a front row seat to the Salem witch trials and the curse of Thomas Cane.

I picked this book for review because I love to read anything dealing with the Salem Witch Trials. I find the subject fascinating and this gave a pretty gory and detailed version of some of the acts taking place at that time when it came to the torture and punishment that some of these so-called witches were put through. This story is written as a screenplay so that was a bit of a turn off for me because you really don’t get a lot of character definition (other than young woman, mid-20's, red hair, etc.), nor setting details.

With that said, I found that I really enjoyed it. It had enough suspense and intrigue to keep me interested. The story itself was full of tension and you just kept reading it with the hope that good would conquer evil in the end. Ultimately this a story about love and forgiveness that I can recommend to anyone interested in a quick read relative to the Salem Witch Trials, curses and magic. ( )